Kelly Miller's History of the World War for Human Rights
John Stuart Mill · en
Gradually England developed larger and larger vessels from this point,
increasing the displacement in each group from 16,350 tons in 1906 to
20,000 in 1911, and finally to 25,700, when the Queen Elizabeth and
Warspite were completed in 1915. These boats--England's
super-dreadnoughts--are of 58,000 horsepower (turbine), 4,000 tons oil
capacity. They have a speed of 25 knots, 13.5 inches of armor belt and
from 8 to 13.5 inches protection for the big guns. The armament consists
of 8 15-inch, 16 6-inch and 12 3-inch rapid fire guns. They have five
torpedo tubes. There were 150,609 officers and men in the navy when
England entered the war.
THE FRENCH NAVY.
At the beginning of the war the French navy ranked fourth among the
navies of the world. She had 18 battleships of the older types, and
which ranged in date of launching from 1894 to 1909. There were building
at that time eight ships of about 23,095 tons displacement. Although
France had no battle cruisers, she had 19 armored cruisers. The heavier
of these ships had a designed speed of 23 knots, and carried from 2100
to 2300 tons of coal. Their main batteries consisted of 2 7.6-inch rapid
fire and 8 6.4-inch rapid fire guns.
Two protected cruisers, the D'Entrecasteaux and the Guichen, and 10
light cruisers of no fighting importance completed the list of French
ships.
France was, however, strong, so far as numbers go, in destroyers,
torpedo boats and submarines, there being 84 destroyers, with
displacements of 276 to 804 tons and speeds of 28 and 31 knots. She
possessed 135 torpedo boats and 78 submarines, but many of these were of
small size. One hundred and one of her torpedo boats had displacements
of about 95 tons, and 20 of the submarines had displacements of 67 tons.
Of the submarines, there were 33 which had a displacement of 390 tons, 2
of 410 tons, 6 of 550 tons, 2 of 785 tons and 7 of 830 tons. This
displacement, which was surface, is usually 70 per cent of the
submerged. The larger submarines carry from six to eight torpedo tubes.
In the early part of 1916 the French Government had 12 submarines
building, these latter having surface displacement of 520 tons and
having Diesel motors of 2000 horsepower. The speed of these submarines
is 17-1/2 knots on the surface and 8 knots submerged.
Attached to the French fleet are 16 auxiliaries, used as mine-layers,
submarine destroyers and aeroplane mother ships, of from 300 to 7,898
tons.
There were 61,240 officers and men in the navy of France when war was
declared.
THE RUSSIAN NAVY.
With the ending of the Russo-Japanese war the Russian navy was given an
overhauling. There were but three of the old battleships of the Russian
navy left after this fateful struggle, these being the Tri Sviatitelia,
the Panteleimon and the Czarevitch. The Russian Government labored
diligently to build up her navy, and is still doing her utmost to
readjust that branch of her service.